Whether you want to adopt a stray cat, take it to a shelter, or just get it neutered, you'll need to earn its trust first. Some stray cats are friendly, and some are skittish. There are some that will never feel comfortable around people, because they're feral. But you won't know if the cat is feral or just stray unless you try. The key is to be patient.

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Steps

Method 1 of 2: Earning Trust Gradually Over Time

1

Set out dry cat food and fresh water at the same time every day. Dry food is recommended because it won't attract insects, like wet food will, and it won't smell as much. Set the food and water as close to your door as you think the cat will come. If you follow a daily routine, that cat(s) will learn when "dinnertime" is and come to your door at the same time every day.

Do not set out milk.

Shaking the bag of dry food every time you put it out will function as a "dinner bell" of sorts. If they hear the sound from somewhere else, they'll come running because they'll know it's time to eat.

If the cats refuse to eat with you sitting there, go inside. Do this for a week or two before moving onto the next step.

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2

Start hanging around while the cats eat. Sit down about ten feet away from the food. When you put the food in the bowl, shake the bag and the dish so that they hear it. Pretend that you do not see the cats if they start coming out, peering at you and the food cautiously. After watching you for awhile, the cats will start to ease up. They won't let you approach them this early, so don't try. Don't stare at them (most cats interpret direct eye contact as a sign of aggression) and don't make any sudden movements. This is a good time to read, meditate, or listen to music. It's best to give them about a half hour to come to the food. If they don't come to eat while you're there, you have two choices. You can go back to the first step, leaving the food out for them, or you can bring the food inside with you. If you leave the food out, it will take much, much longer for the cats to become comfortable around you, because they'll know they can just eat when you're not there. If you show them that the only way they can eat is when you're around, they'll eventually choose that, because hunger will get the best of them.

If the cat doesn't seem to be that bothered by your presence, try sitting a little closer to the food every time.

3

Bribe the cat with special treats. Boil some boneless, skinless chicken strips until fully cooked. Try not to add any seasonings. Put them on a plate to cool and cut them into kitty bite size pieces. Go back outside during "dinnertime". This time, don't serve dry food. If you see a cat, take a strip of cooled, boiled chicken and gently toss it in front of their path. They should come flying, grabbing the strip in their mouth and run back to where they were. After the stray consumes the strip of chicken, they'll be watching to see if you'll be throwing any more. Try calling the cat toward you now and be nice and sweet. Don't try touching, approaching, or picking up the cat. Let him come to you. Toss him another strip of chicken. Doing this after awhile, the strays should not be as tense and cautious of you as before. They should start approaching you more and coming out of hiding.

After feeding them all the chicken, put out the dry food and hang around as you've been doing, except keep bringing the dry food closer and closer to you every day and the cats are within reach of your hands, and they eat all the food without running away.

Get friendly with the cat(s). While the cat is eating, reach out and pet its back gently. If you're concerned that the cat might scratch or bite you, you might ought to wear gloves. Slowly crouch down next to the cat and try to scratch it behind the ears, the cat will probably get scared and run away. Eventually, however, it'll tolerate being touched while eating. And after some time, some cats will start to enjoy it. They'll begin purring, rubbing up against you, and lounging right next to you. Cats that scratch, bite, or hiss, however, may be feral--there are some cats that will simply never trust people, and if you want to catch them, you'll have to trap them by surprise.

Method 2 of 2: Earning Trust in One Sitting

1

Wait until you see to cat. Then move slowly towards it until you are about ten feet away from it.

Make sure that you are moving quietly, but not so quiet that the cat doesn't notice you.

2

Wait ten feet away from it until it acknowledges you by looking at you. Close your eyes and the slowly blink at it. See if it blinks back. If it doesn't, keep waiting. if it looks away after looking at you, move only one step closer. If it blinks back, move closer, very slowly and relatively quietly.

You may want to kneel down if the cat isn't responding, or sees you as a threat.

If the cat's ears are back, if it hisses at you, or if its back hair is spiked, DO NOT MOVE. Kneel down, talk quietly to it, do not make and hold eye contact. Keep blinking slowly.

3

Continue doing the step above until you are about two feet away from the cat. Soothe it if it is hissing or looks uncomfortable. If you are not already kneeling, kneel down. If you have anything to give to that cat, give it now. Don't throw it at the cat. Slowly reach your arm toward its nose so that it can smell your hand. Back off if it hisses at you. If it smells your hand and does not hiss at you, attempt to pet it.

Remember that some cats don't like being pet on their back or other areas. Keep trying until you are stroking the cat. it should trust you now.

If the cat runs away, wait until you see it again, or tempt it with food.

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For example:Don't say: Eat more fats.Do say: Add fats with some nutritional value to the foods you already eat. Try olive oil, butter, avocado, and mayonnaise.

Try to find out where that cat usually stays and come there often to leave it food and water. Keep doing that for a while until the cat comes out of its shell more and more every time it sees you. You just have to keep doing the same thing and leave food and water and eventually the cat will understand that you are not there to hurt him. You're there to take care of it and it will probably even stick with you as it realizes what a good person you are to them.

Clean the bowls regularly, but not in your kitchen sink--you don't want their germs to mix with your dishes or you can just spray everything down with bleach when you're done.

Slowly approach the animal calmly and try to pet it to gain trust.

You may also consider looking into a local TNR (Trap, Neuter and Release) Program as it will keep your ferals from reproducing. Also fixed cats are less aggressive and will roam less and therefore be less likely to get killed by cars.

If you have other cats, indoor or outdoor, keep them away from the stray cat! No matter how nice your cat may seem to be around you or others, it may react differently with other cats in their territory.

Warnings

The cat may already have an owner. When it has calmed down, check for identification, or take it to a vet to have the microchip read (if there is one).

Other neighborhood scavengers may figure out that there's a free meal to be had at your house. If you don't want to feed possums , skunks , or raccoons you'll have to take the food away before it gets dark because they only come at that time.

If there are multiple stray cats coming for food, you will have a hard time developing trust in the less dominant cats because they're not only scared of you, but they'll also be scared of the dominant (bully) cats. It's impossible to get a dominant cat to stop dominating. It is also possible that the cats will fight with each other over the food you're giving them. If that happens, try putting out 2 bowls of food. The dominant cat can only eat from one dish, this will leave the other dish free for the submissive cat.

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